Lomandra plant named ‘Muru’

ABSTRACT

‘Muru’ is a distinctive cultivar of Lomandra longifolia which is characterized by variegated foliage comprised of green striations, white striations and broad white margins. The new variety propagates successfully by division and tissue culture and has shown to be uniform and stable in the resulting generations from asexual propagation.

Latin name of the genus and species: The Latin name of the genus andspecies of the novel variety disclosed herein is Lomandra longifolia.

Variety denomination: The inventive variety of Lomandra longifoliadisclosed herein has been given the variety denomination ‘Muru’.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to the Australian Plant Breeders Rightsapplication number 2015/347, filed on Dec. 16, 2015, which is hereinincorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct perennial variety ofLomandra longifolia, which has been given the variety denomination of‘Muru’. Its market class is PLT/373. ‘Muru’ is intended for use inlandscaping and as a decorative plant.

Parentage: ‘Muru’ is a seedling selection resulting from anopen-pollination of an unnamed Lomandra longifolia plant. In February of2010, the inventor discovered a variegated seedling of Lomandralongifolia in a crop of seedlings being produced for nursery stock at awholesale plant nursery in Penrith South, NSW, Australia. This seedlingwas isolated and grown to a mature size to assess the stability of thevariegation and overall plant vigor. In April of 2011, the plant wasdivided to increase numbers and test its hardiness and stability. It hasproven a strong growing variegated form of the species with no off typesobserved. This new and distinctive cultivar was given the name ‘Muru’.

Asexual Reproduction: ‘Muru’ was first asexually propagated in April of2011 by division of the plant's crown in Penrith South, NSW, Australiaand has since been asexually reproduced by meristematic tissue culturepropagation. The distinctive characteristics of the inventive ‘Muru’variety have proven to be stable through five generations and clones soproduced maintain the distinguishing characteristics of the originalplant.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

‘Muru’ is a distinctive cultivar of Lomandra longifolia which ischaracterized by variegated foliage comprised of green striations, whitestriations and broad white margins.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The FIGURE illustrates, as true as is reasonably possible to obtain incolor photographs of this type, an exemplary ‘Muru’ specimen ofapproximately 24 months of age in a 250 mm nursery pot, grown at acommercial plant breeding facility in Clarendon, NSW, Australia.

BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE PLANT

The following is a detailed botanical description of a new and distinctvariety of a Lomandra ornamental plant known as ‘Muru’. Plantobservations were made on plants grown in Bellingen, NSW, Australia.Unless indicated otherwise, the descriptions disclosed herein are basedupon observations made in early December 2016 of 24 month old ‘Muru’plants grown outdoors, under 30 percent shade, from rooted cuttings in250 mm nursery pots filled with soilless potting media, maintained withgranular slow release fertilizer and regularly watered with overheadirrigation. No pest and disease measures were taken.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that certain characteristicswill vary with older or, conversely, younger plants. ‘Muru’ has not beenobserved under all possible environmental conditions. Where dimensions,sizes, colors and other characteristics are given, it is to beunderstood that such characteristics are approximations or averages setforth as accurately as practicable. The phenotype of the variety mayvary with variations in the environment such as season, temperature,light intensity, day length, cultural conditions and the like. Colornotations are based on The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, TheRoyal Horticultural Society, London, 2001 edition.

A botanical description of ‘Muru’ and comparisons with the seed parentand several similar varieties of common knowledge are provided below.

-   General plant description:    -   -   Plant habit.—Grass-like perennial with arched to weeping            foliage; rhizomatous plant forming a dense tussock.        -   Reproduction.—Dioecious; male of the species.        -   Height.—25 cm as measured.        -   Width.—50 cm as measured.        -   Bloom period.—Spring.        -   Propagation.—Propagation is accomplished by dividing the            crown of the plant and also by way of meristematic tissue            culture propagation.        -   Crop time.—Time to initiate rooting is approximately 4            weeks; time to develop a rooted cutting is approximately 8            to 10 weeks. An average crop time is approximately 6 to 9            months to produce a mature and marketable 1-gallon nursery            container, beginning with a rooted cutting.        -   Environmental tolerances.—Evergreen in USDA Hardiness Zones            8 through 11 and potentially root hardy in USDA Zone 7;            adapt to temperatures ranging from approximately 23 degrees            Fahrenheit to 113 degrees Fahrenheit. Shade and drought            tolerant once established.        -   Pest and disease susceptibility or resistance.—Neither            resistance nor tolerance to pests and diseases known to            effect Lomandra longifolia have been observed.-   Roots: Densely rooting; roots are fibrous and distributed evenly    throughout the soil profile, from shallow to deep.-   Rhizomes: Short, 3 to 4 cm; rhizome color with the leaf sheath    removed is white, nearest to RHS 155D; surface texture of the    rhizome is smooth.-   Foliage:    -   -   Type.—Evergreen.        -   Shape.—Linear; grass-like.        -   Division.—Simple.        -   Arrangement.—Whorled around an indistinguishable culm.        -   Aspect.—Arched to weeping.        -   Apex.—Tridentate. The leaf apex may become locally necrotic            in response to moisture stress.        -   Base.—Sheathed attachment to the culm.        -   Margins.—Entire.        -   Texture, adaxial surface.—Glabrous; smooth.        -   Texture, abaxial surface.—Glabrous; smooth; glaucous.        -   Mature leaf dimensions.—7.5 mm wide and 350 mm long, on            average. The leaf is generally a uniform width, narrowing            only slightly from base to apex.        -   Juvenile foliage color, adaxial surface.—Parallel            variegation; the majority of the leaf surface is            yellow-green, RHS 144A, with fine pale yellow-white            striations, nearest to RHS 153C; broadly margined pale            yellow-white, nearest to RHS 153C.        -   Juvenile foliage color, abaxial surface.—Parallel            variegation; with glaucosity removed, the majority of the            leaf surface is yellow-green, RHS 144A, with fine pale            yellow-white striations, nearest to RHS 153C; broadly            margined pale yellow-white, nearest to RHS 153C.        -   Mature foliage color, adaxial surface.—Parallel variegation;            comprised of green striations (RHS 137A), creamy white            striations (nearest to RHS 150D) and broad creamy white            margins (nearest to RHS 150D).        -   Mature foliage color, abaxial surface.—Parallel variegation;            comprised of green striations (RHS 137A), creamy white            striations (nearest to RHS 150D) and broad creamy white            margins (nearest to RHS 150D).        -   Venation.—Parallel.        -   Vein color, adaxial surfaces.—Indistinguishable from            surrounding foliage.        -   Vein color, abaxial surfaces.—Indistinguishable from            surrounding foliage.-   Inflorescence:    -   -   Type.—Racemes containing small clusters of male flowers;            some flowers are sessile to the rachis while others are            borne on pedicels of varying length.        -   Dimensions.—90 mm long and 20 mm long.        -   Natural flowering season.—Spring.        -   Overall dimensions.—Up to 90 mm long, including the peduncle            and rachis.        -   Quantity.—Very floriferous; inflorescences may potentially            arise from every shoot.        -   Attitude.—Semi-erect to erect.        -   Peduncle.—Dimensions — Up to 50 mm long and 2 mm in            diameter. Attitude — Semi erect. Strength — Strong. Texture            — Smooth. Color — 144A.        -   Pedicels.—Dimensions — Up to 12 mm long and 1.25 mm in            diameter. Strength — Strong. Texture — Smooth. Color — 145A.-   Bud:    -   -   Dimensions.—Approximately 2 mm long and 2 mm wide.        -   Bud shape.—Rounded.        -   Bud color.—Dull yellow, nearest to RHS 10B.        -   Rate of bud opening.—Slow.-   Flower:    -   -   Shape.—Cupuliform; cup-shaped.        -   Lastingness of flowers.—Approximately 10 days.        -   Persistence.—Non-persistent.        -   Aspect.—Erect.        -   Fragrance.—Moderately fragrant; sweet and honey-like.        -   Perianth.—Calyx — Shape — Ovate. Dimensions — Approximately            1 mm. Color — Dull yellow, nearest to RHS 10B. Texture —            Smooth. Sepals — Arrangement — Rotate. Quantity — Three.            Margin — Entire. Apex — Aristate. Base — Obtuse. Texture —            Smooth. Sepal color, mature, upper surface — 165C. Sepal            color, mature, under surface — 165C. Corolla — Arrangement —            Rotate; petals unfused. Dimensions — Approximately 2 mm in            diameter and 4 mm deep. Petals — Quantity — Three.            Arrangement — Rotate. Dimensions — Approximately 1.5 mm long            and 1.0 mm wide. Shape — Ovate. Margin — Entire. Apex —            Acute. Base — Obtuse. Texture — Smooth. Color when opening,            upper side — Nearest to 150C. Color when opening, under side            — Nearest to 150C. Color when fully opened, upper side —            10B. Color when fully opened, under side — 10B. Bracts —            Shape — Needle-shaped. Length — range in length from 6 to            9 mm. Apex — Acute. Margin — Entire. Color — 160D.-   Reproduction organs: Not observed.-   Seed: Flower are male; seed is not produced.-   Comparisons with the parent plant: Plants of the new cultivar ‘Muru’    exhibit green and white variegated foliage, whereas the seed parent,    a female Lomandra longifolia plant, does not exhibit foliage    variegation.-   Comparisons with the most similar variety of common knowledge:    Plants of the new cultivar ‘Muru’ exhibit green and white variegated    foliage, whereas the commercial variety, Lomandra sp. ‘LMV100’ (U.S.    application Ser. No. 11/810,224, now abandoned), exhibits green and    yellow variegation.

That which is claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct variety of Lomandralongifolia named ‘Muru’, substantially as described and illustratedherein.